Dormobile hybrid from Arizona
Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 5:22 pm
As usual I am late to the party but in this case it is because I tend not to spend time on forums.
I own a 1960 Dormobile hybrid. My Dormobile kit, U32288.7.626 was removed from the wreckage of a 1967 pastel green Dormobile that was destroyed in Alaska. The roof was severely damaged and required extensive repairs on both the aluminum top and the fiberglass lifting roof. The roof was repaired, interior furnishings refinished and the kit was transferred to a 1960 109 regular. The truck was painted to match the colour scheme of the 2 door Dormobile that Martin Walters supplied for Barbra Toy. Martin Walter never had a standard furnishings layout for the 625 version of the Dormobile and the 626 furnishings only occupied half the rear interior space. I added a second wardrobe, a second sink, a chest refrigerator and a single jump seat opposite the Dormobile cooker.
In 1999 I got tired of being passed by old Volkswagen buses up hill and have big lories coming up behind me like I was standing still so my Dormobile received a power plant and gearbox upgrade. The engine is a fuel injected Mustang 5.0 V8 with a NP435 American light truck gearbox in front of an Ashcroft high ratio transfercase. The Rest of the drive train is Land Rover.
Since the Dormobile conversion I have traveled and camped in my Dormobile throughout the lower Canadian provinces and the US from Pacific to the Atlantic.
I am currently in the process of writing a how-to book covering overlanding in The US and Canada. The preliminary title is "The Essential Guide to Overlanding in North America". I currently have about 3/4 of the book in first draft with some chapters out for technical review.
Here are a few pictures of my truck:
I own a 1960 Dormobile hybrid. My Dormobile kit, U32288.7.626 was removed from the wreckage of a 1967 pastel green Dormobile that was destroyed in Alaska. The roof was severely damaged and required extensive repairs on both the aluminum top and the fiberglass lifting roof. The roof was repaired, interior furnishings refinished and the kit was transferred to a 1960 109 regular. The truck was painted to match the colour scheme of the 2 door Dormobile that Martin Walters supplied for Barbra Toy. Martin Walter never had a standard furnishings layout for the 625 version of the Dormobile and the 626 furnishings only occupied half the rear interior space. I added a second wardrobe, a second sink, a chest refrigerator and a single jump seat opposite the Dormobile cooker.
In 1999 I got tired of being passed by old Volkswagen buses up hill and have big lories coming up behind me like I was standing still so my Dormobile received a power plant and gearbox upgrade. The engine is a fuel injected Mustang 5.0 V8 with a NP435 American light truck gearbox in front of an Ashcroft high ratio transfercase. The Rest of the drive train is Land Rover.
Since the Dormobile conversion I have traveled and camped in my Dormobile throughout the lower Canadian provinces and the US from Pacific to the Atlantic.
I am currently in the process of writing a how-to book covering overlanding in The US and Canada. The preliminary title is "The Essential Guide to Overlanding in North America". I currently have about 3/4 of the book in first draft with some chapters out for technical review.
Here are a few pictures of my truck:
